Join Random Smile for the 2ND ANNUAL WIFFLE® BALL TOURNAMENT on August 16.

In Memory of Danny Adiletto

Join over 300 players and spectators, for Franklin's largest Wiffle® Ball tournament. The championship trophy and Prizes will be awarded to the last team standing (up to five players per team). Sign-up here today to ensure your team's registration, or bring your sense of humor, lawn chairs and cheer your friends as they compete for the title!

Somewhere beneath the dirt and gravel at Franklin High School, memories are stored.

Just how many remains conjecture: Members of past graduating classes put the number at five — time capsules buried in 1977, 1979, 1983, 1984 and 2000.

But many Franklin High alumni have given up hope of ever digging them up. And they have expressed recent disappointment in the school department for not caring more about the memories, potentially lost forever.

Summer is here and it’s time to venture outside and make the most of the great outdoors. If you’re ready to leave behind the comforts and conveniences of home for a few days and explore the wilderness, camping is a fun activity the entire family can enjoy.

The Hall at Patriot Place announces 31 Days of July program featuring daily activities and family funProgram includes autograph signings, a magic show, Patriots painting lessons, games and tournaments, caricatures and more throughout the month of July inside The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Already a great destination for family fun, The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon is taking its interactive experience and activities to another level with its 31 Days of July program, beginning on Tuesday, July 1.

The program features daily activities such as autograph signings by Patriots alumni, a magic show, Patriots painting lessons, games, tournaments and sweepstakes and of course the exciting and interactive Patriots Hall of Fame and museum.

All events will take place inside The Hall and are included with admission. Tickets to The Hall are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children 5-12. Children four and younger are admitted for free. The program's schedule can be viewed below or online at www.thehallatpatriotplace.com.

On Thursday, July 31, Patriots 2014 Hall of Fame inductee Ty Law will be the featured guest for The Hall's popular Speaker Series. This is a special ticketed event. Tickets are $30 each and include access to The Hall before and after the event.

The Hall is the only sports and education experience of its kind. Through a dazzling array of interactive multimedia exhibits and artifacts, The Hall showcases the tradition of the New England Patriots, explores the history of football in New England, and promotes math and science education for thousands of schoolchildren each year.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.thehallatpatriotplace.com, visit "The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon" on Facebook or follow @TheHall on Twitter.

31 Days of July Schedule of Events

Tuesday, July 1: Scavenger Hunt – Find out who can be first in your group to answer all the questions and find all the artifacts that are part of The Hall's impressive exhibit galleries.

Wednesday, July 2: Game Day – Are you any good at cornhole or finger football? Stop by for Game Day at The Hall and have some fun while you enjoy The Hall's interactive exhibits and tour the modern museum.

Thursday, July 3: Madden Video Game Tournament – Test your Madden skills on Xbox 360 and have some fun playing against friends or strangers in The Hall's classroom. Tournament will take place every Thursday and The Hall will keep track of the winners. On the last Thursday of the month (July 31), The Hall will hold the "finale" and invite all winners from previous tournaments to compete against each other for a great prize.

Monday, July 7: Win VIP Seats to Ty Law's Patriots Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony – Ty Law will be inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Friday, Aug. 1, in the NRG Plaza adjacent to The Hall. The event is free and open to the public, but The Hall is giving away seats inside the ropes where the Patriots alumni and VIPs sit. You will be sitting only a few rows behind Patriots Hall of Famers, VIPs and members of the Kraft family. Enter to win when you visit The Hall on Monday, July 7.

Tuesday, July 8: Trivia Day – Are you a Patriots trivia wizard? Come to The Hall and find out. This is a fun chance to win a great prize during your visit to The Hall's interactive exhibits. The Hall will supply the wizard hat for you to wear while staff asks you Patriots trivia questions. As long as you answer correctly, The Hall's staff will keep asking questions. When you answer incorrectly, the questions stop and the staff tallies the number of correct answers you gave. The person with the most correct answers will be The Hall's trivia wizard.

Wednesday, July 9: "Crazy Train" Lip Dub – The Hall is boarding the "Crazy Train" on Wednesday, July 9, and you are invited! Patriots fans know the team runs onto the Gillette Stadium field prior to each home game to Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" and The Hall is giving fans an opportunity to be part of an exciting lip dub video featuring the song. The Hall will distribute lyrics to "Crazy Train" in the morning and plan the lip dub video with guests of The Hall. Then the cameras will start rolling as fans – both individually and in groups – will lip sync the lyrics to "Crazy Train" in a fun and energetic way. The Hall will post the video on its website and to its social media pages (Facebook, Twitter).

Thursday, July 10: Madden Video Game Tournament – Test your Madden skills on Xbox 360 and have some fun playing against friends or strangers in The Hall's classroom. Tournament will take place every Thursday and The Hall will keep track of the winners. On the last Thursday of the month (July 31), The Hall will hold the "finale" and invite all winners from previous tournaments to compete against each other for a great prize.

Friday, July 11: Beach Party – Visit the Grand Hall and receive a lei while dancing and playing limbo games to beach-themed music.

Saturday, July 12: Steve Nelson Autograph Signing – Stop by The Hall from 12:30 to 2 p.m. to meet, and get an autograph from, Patriots Hall of Fame linebacker Steve Nelson.

Sunday, July 13: Win Patriots Tickets to Preseason Game – Visit The Hall on July 13 and enter to win tickets to the New England Patriots' preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium.

Monday, July 14: Meet the Curator – The Hall's curator, Chris Meiman, will greet guests at The Hall's Building Blocks exhibit. He will show Patriots artifacts from the 1960s and relate them to Patriots history. If you are a Patriots fan interested in the team's beginnings, this is the event for you to come ask questions and see artifacts dating back to the Patriots founding in 1959.

Tuesday, July 15: Combine Day: Test Your Skills – Find out how you stack up against NFL players by taking some of the athleticism tests used at the NFL Combine. The Hall will provide you with your own score sheet to track your results as well as average results from NFL players by position. You can test your time in the three-cone drill and the shuttle run.

The Hall's Paint the Patriots activity held over spring vacation (courtesy of The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon)

Wednesday, July 16: Paint the Patriots – Paint the Patriots with The Hall from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Artists Laura Zanghetti and Jerry Aissis will teach you how to paint the Patriots logo and you will leave The Hall with your own painting on canvas.

Thursday, July 17: Madden Video Game Tournament – Test your Madden skills on Xbox 360 and have some fun playing against friends or strangers in The Hall's classroom. Tournament will take place every Thursday and The Hall will keep track of the winners. On the last Thursday of the month (July 31), The Hall will hold the "finale" and invite all winners from previous tournaments to compete against each other for a great prize.

Friday, July 18: Face Painting – Get in the spirit of the 2014 Patriots season by getting your face painted in Patriots' red, white and blue – or almost anything you want - by artist Jennifer Rand from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, July 19: Gino Cappelletti Autograph Signing – Stop by The Hall from 1 to 2:30 p.m. to meet, and get an autograph from, Patriots Hall of Fame wide receiver and placekicker Gino Cappelletti.

Sunday, July 20: Win Patriots Tickets to Preseason Game – Visit The Hall on July 20 and enter to win tickets to the New England Patriots' preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium.

Monday, July 21: Joe Andruzzi Autograph Signing – Stop by The Hall from 1 to 2:30 p.m. to meet, and get an autograph from, former Patriots offensive lineman and three-time Super Bowl champion Joe Andruzzi.

Tuesday, July 22: Game Day – Are you any good at cornhole or finger football? Stop by for Game Day at The Hall and have some fun while you enjoy The Hall's interactive exhibits and tour the modern museum.

Wednesday, July 23: Free Hot Dog Day – Enjoy a free Kayem hot dog on National Hot Dog Day after you visit The Hall.

Thursday, July 24: Magic Show – Magician David Hall will be performing a 45-minute magic show in The Hall's Raytheon Theatre beginning at 1 p.m.

Thursday, July 24: Madden Video Game Tournament – Test your Madden skills on Xbox 360 and have some fun playing against friends or strangers in The Hall's classroom. Tournament will take place every Thursday and The Hall will keep track of the winners. On the last Thursday of the month (July 31), The Hall will hold the "finale" and invite all winners from previous tournaments to compete against each other for a great prize.

Friday, July 25: Tom Brady Jersey Giveaway – Stop by The Hall from July 25 to Aug. 17 and enter to win an authentic Patriots jersey signed by quarterback Tom Brady.

Saturday, July 26: Mascot Day – The Hall will have a few special guests for fans to hang out with, including Pat Patriot from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Other mascots, including Slyde, the official mascot of the New England Revolution, will be in attendance throughout the day.

Sunday, July 27: Combine Day: Test Your Skills – Find out how you stack up against NFL players by taking some of the athleticism tests used at the NFL Combine. The Hall will provide you with your own score sheet to track your results as well as average results from NFL players by position. You can test your time in the three-cone drill and the shuttle run.

Monday, July 28: 1960s Patriots film viewing – Fans can view The Hall's collection of Patriots game film from the 1960s in the Grand Hall. The films will be played on a projector.

Tuesday, July 29: Caricature Artist – Visit The Hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and have a caricature of you created!

Wednesday, July 30: Scavenger Hunt – Find out who can be first in your group to answer all the questions and find all the artifacts that are part of The Hall's impressive exhibit galleries.

Thursday, July 31: Madden Video Game Tournament Finals – All winners from previous Madden tournaments at The Hall will square off for a great prize.

Thursday, July 31: Ty Law Speaker Series – Patriots 2014 Hall of Fame inductee Ty Law will be the featured guest at The Hall's popular Speaker Series. Tickets are $30 each and include access to The Hall before and after the event as well as one autograph from Law. For more information, visit http://www.thehallatpatriotplace.com.

About The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon

The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon is the crown jewel of Patriot Place and the only sports and education experience of its kind. Through a dazzling array of interactive multimedia exhibits and artifacts never before viewable by the public, The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon showcases the tradition of the New England Patriots, explores the history of football in New England, and promotes math and science education for the thousands of schoolchildren expected to visit each year. For more information, please visit www.thehallatpatriotplace.com.

"Our patients receiving treatment sometimes struggle to find transportation to appointments, and some need assistance with meals and other every-day needs. When I tell them about Neighbor Brigade I see the relief in their eyes. We're grateful to this community-supported organization and the help that it provides to patients going through a difficult time."

Congratulations to Chapter Leaders Diane Tremblay and Nancy Andrie and the entire Easton chapter on receiving the humanitarian award presented by the Easton Lions Club during its annual recognition night. The ceremony, held on April 10, honored Easton residents whose community service has surpassed expectations. The humanitarian award specifically recognizes "a person or persons whose actions and deeds have fostered attitudes of good will and fairness to all people in the community."

The Lions Club is an international organization with the mission of empowering volunteers to serve their communities. The Easton chapter of Neighbor Brigade is 234 members strong and has helped over 30 families since the chapter's inception in November 2010.

Chapter Leader Nancy Andrie and volunteer Robin Lamar accepting the Humanitarian Award from Kevin McIntyre from the Easton Lions Club

Community Organizations Unite to Help a Family

The Lexington Chapter recently collaborated with another organization in that town to help a local family. The chapter was tasked with providing meal assistance to a Chinese family while the father received cancer treatment. He and his wife have a middle school aged son, so the wife/mother had a lot on her plate taking care of both her husband and her son. The family requested Chinese cuisine, and the father's cancer required a somewhat restricted diet.

Kathy Pike, Lexington's chapter leader, reached out to the Chinese American Association of Lexington (CAAL) to make the organization aware of this family and its needs. Not only did CAAL provide assistance with the meals, but 10 members of the organization are now Neighbor Brigade volunteers! We're thrilled that Kathy's initiative helped us to best serve a family while also growing her chapter and recognition of Neighbor Brigade among a new demographic in her town.

"I'm always amazed at the outpouring of appreciation for something as simple, but important, as providing meals," said Kathy. "This family deeply appreciated all of our help because it saved them time and allowed the dad to rest while everyone was fed well. After sharing the family's sentiments with our volunteers, I'm reminded that we all have an appreciation for the feeling of connection or a circle of caring that is not easily found in our busy lives."

Transportation a Top Concern for Cancer Patients

"No matter how great the advanced care of medicine has become, you're not going to get better if you can't make it to your appointments. This is easily the most satisfying and rewarding volunteer work I've ever done."

-- Amanda Magill, an American Caner Society volunteer from
North Carolina who frequently drives patients to their appointments

Did you know that transportation to appointments is a top concern (second only to financial concerns) for cancer patients? Getting patients to their appointments is an integral part of treating cancer, but finding transportation can be challenging for some. Public transportation or a lift from family members or friends is not always available. Many cancer patients require regular appointments over a period of months and some forego treatment because they can't get where they need to go. Neighbor Brigade is seeking volunteers to help with this great need.

If you want to be a volunteer driver for Neighbor Brigade please contact your local chapter leaders to let them know and our staff will assist you in processing the required CORI form.

Recipe Box

Do you want to bring a meal to someone in your community but you don't know what to make? Below is a tried and true (and easy) healthy summer soup recipe that originally appeared in in November 1997 issue of Cooking Light:

Deliver the soup with a loaf of fresh bread (and maybe some seasonal fruit). Too hot for soup? Another easy idea for the summer is to marinate flank steak or chicken (or any meat), grill, place in tin foil and deliver warm!

If you ever wondered what it was like to live in colonial revolutionary times, '1776' is the movie for you.
History Buffs, students, teachers and movie lovers will enjoy viewing '1776' at the Franklin Historical Museum.

The fun family night will benefit the Franklin Food Pantry. The price of admission is a canned good or non perishable food item.

In the days leading up to July 4, 1776, continental Congressmen John Adams and Benjamin Franklin coerce Thomas Jefferson into writing the Declaration of Independence as a delaying tactic as they try to persuade the American colonies to support a resolution on independence. As George Washington sends depressing messages describing one military disaster after another, the businessmen, landowners and farmers in Congress all stand in the way of the Declaration, and a single 'nay' vote will forever end the questions of independence. Large portions of spoken and sung dialog are taken directly from the letters and memoirs of the actual participants.

Come enjoy this informative film right before we start our annual 4th of July celebration week. The showing is at 5:00 PM on Sunday June 29th and is appropriate for the whole family. Popcorn will be served.

Help support our effort to give scholarships to high school students looking at the high cost of secondary education. All profits from this event will go to the Scholarship Funds for Medway Post 367 and Franklin Post 75.

These HMMS Leadership students enrolled in an extra course, on top of their normal workload to consider and address an authentic, real-world problem in their community. Through peer collaboration and feedback these students had to create a PSA outlining their topic and solution. On May 7th the HMMS 8th graders presented their projects at the 2nd annual PSA Symposium in Horace Mann middle School's Mercer Auditorium to an audience made up of parents, teachers and peers.

Senator Ross on left, Representative Roy on right with HMMS students

"These students embody all of the great work of our Franklin schools and teachers," said Senator Ross. "Their dedication and creativity is truly inspiring and I value every opportunity to have them take part in civil service and give back to their community."

During their visit of the State House the HMMS Leadership students met with various State Legislators, had the opportunity to witness a joint House of Representatives and Senate event commemorating the 50th anniversary of UMass Boston and had an opportunity to share their future plans with their Legislators.

"I enjoyed the opportunity to meet with these student leaders and provide them with a glimpse of the work at the State House", said Representative Jeffrey N. Roy (D- Franklin) "When I met them a few weeks ago to observe their public service presentations in Franklin, I was impressed with their dedication, commitment and compassion. They took on extra course loads, worked with members of the community, and tackled issues designed to make the world a better place. I was happy to recognize their achievements and show them the work we do at the state level."

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Continuing to share photos from the last tour of Franklin High School, here are some from the corridors and the art work found above the locker space. The student work on these murals is a delight. I tried to capture them all. There are many more photos to be shared.